The top brass at newly formed Bahrain Air have claimed the carrier will complement Gulf Air’s operations, even though its prices will be cheaper.
“We are not after anyone else’s market share – we are aimed at those who can’t afford to fly regularly at the moment,” explained Bahrain Air director of commercial operations M.S. Fakhri, a former Gulf Air employee himself.
“We are two different products, which should complement each other – but our price has to be cheaper than Gulf Air as we are a low priced airline.”
Fakhri also stated that Gulf Air “shouldn’t feel pressure because they have a bigger fleet and a bigger route”.
“How many brands of cars do you have on the market? It’s a product, so it’s your choice. It’s up to the passenger in the end,” he said.
Fakhri was speaking to Arabian Travel News during a travel agent workshop staged in Dubai last month where he and other Bahrain Air big cheeses outlined their plans for the carrier as it gears up for an early February launch.
Declared as Bahrain’s official second national carrier and touted as the first privately-owned premium low priced carrier (LPC) out of the country, Bahrain Air will initially fly to 13 destinations across the Middle East, offering 140 flights per week and using a fleet of dry-leased Airbus A320s.
The Arad-headquartered carrier will operate its inaugural flight to Dubai on February 1.
It was revealed at the meeting that an agreement has been put in place whereby Gulf Air, Bahrain Air’s “sister company”, will assist with the training of cabin crew.
However, Gulf Air continues to be plagued with bad luck. The airline is yet to appoint a permanent CEO and scores of passengers had been bumped its flights due to overbooking during the busy Eid and Christmas season.
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